Chapter 3: The Alpha's Claim

Faster than a breath, Kaelor spoke. He stepped into the open space as the injured wolf dragged itself toward him, ears flattened, showing no sign of aggression.

Ashryn’s feet were rooted to the spot, unable to move. He stood frozen—partly from fear, partly from a deeper force pulling him forward. One moment, he longed to escape; the next, he felt an inexplicable thread drawing him closer. Every muscle resisted. He wasn’t running or even moving—just held captive against his will.

“Run, Ashryn,” he said. Kaelor’s voice grew softer, almost a whisper. Somehow, that hurt even more. “Make me want to follow.”

Back pressed firmly against the bark, Ashryn spat the words like stones. out of room to run? Seems so. What you choosematters now. You walked away once—remember that?

“I made a mistake.”

A whisper of truth lingered there, slow and heavy. Her breath caught within her chest. Pain surged through him as his heartbeat thundered fiercely beneath his skin.

He crept forward, not rushing, each step deliberate. The fading light stretched across the ground, catching his gaze—amber bright, glowing slowly like embers beneath ash.

“That night at the ceremony,” Kaelor admitted, “I was mistaken.”

Ashryn clenched his fists tightly, his gaze intense. The words cut deeper than any wound he had ever felt. A sudden, sharp heat surged up his neck. That label—defective—echoed relentlessly in his mind. They had all watched, some silent, otherssmirking. Laughter spilled from too many mouths at once. It wasn’t merely cruelty; worse than pain, it left an indelible scar.

what I did.

“Then why are you here?” Ashryn’s voice trembled. “What do you want from me?”

Just a few steps away stood Kaelor, close enough for Ashryn to see the tension in his clenched jaw. Dark shadows underhis eyes revealed many sleepless nights.

“You,” Kaelor said simply, “I want you back.”

A sudden, fierce spark jumped across the space between them. Ashryn’s breath caught as images flooded his mind—not his own memories, but Kaelor’s—fragmented and sharp, like broken shards.

Sometimes, he paces back and forth inside his room when the moon is high. One step after another, he follows a trail only he can sense beneath the trees. As stillness settles near dawn, he stands by the open field, motionless, his eyes fixed on the spot where she might appear.

Guilt. Rage. Obsession.

A heavy weight slammed into Ashryn, nearly causing her legs to buckle.

“Stop it,” he whispered. “Get out of my mind.”

not doing anything, expression changing to something raw and unguarded. bond is revealing the truth to you—what I feel, what I've been feeling since you disappeared.

Pressing his back flat against the rough trunk, Ashryn dug his fingers into the wood. "You turned away from me," he said. The connection should have faded by now.

“Does it feel lifeless to you?”

A fierce fire surged beneath Ashryn’s skin—sharp, restless, and impossible to quell.

“I don’t understand,” Ashryn’s voice was small, almost broken. “Why now? Why follow me out here and—?”

“Because you’re mine.” Kaelor closed the gap between them in a single, swift motion. His hand slammed against the tree beside Ashryn’s head, trapping him in place. “You’ve been mine since the moment the Moon touched us both. I was justtoo proud and too blind to realize it.”

His heartbeat thundered like a storm within his skull. The air hung heavy with Kaelor’s scent—damp wood and fresh rain—beneath which lay a deeper note that stirred his animal instincts, leaving him trembling and restless.

“I’m staying away,” Ashryn declared, though he found himself inching closer despite his resolve. Not letting you turn me into—

“Use me?” Kaelor’s laugh was bitter. “Is that what you think this is?”

“What else could it be?” Ashryn met his eyes, refusing to look away despite the pain it caused. “You’re the Alpha. I’m nothing—weak, unable to shift properly. So what do you gain by claiming a broken omega, except—”

With a sudden movement, Kaelor’s fingers curled beneath Ashryn’s jaw, drawing them close until their breaths mingled.

“You saved my messenger.” His thumb brushed gently across Ashryn’s jaw, soft despite the iron grip. “You bandaged its wounds with your own torn shirt and stayed with it, even though you knew I might find you. Does that sound weak to you?”

Ashryn’s breath caught in her throat, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. From deep within, a connection ignited—Kaelor’s memories slipping through, fragment by fragment.

Pride, longing, fear.

“I don’t want your pity,” Ashryn said firmly.

Because that's not what I'm offering.

Just as Ashryn began to speak, Kaelor moved without warning. He lifted him effortlessly, muscles tense beneath worn fabric. Hands gripped broad shoulders—reflexes took over. Balance disappeared, leaving him suspended midair in a holdthat wouldn’t release.

me down!

“No.” Kaelor began walking, carrying Ashryn in his arms as he headed toward the pack lands. Behind them followed the wolf who had brought the message—lame leg, steady will.

“Put me down!” Ashryn twisted, but Kaelor held firm. It didn’t hurt—he simply wouldn’t budge.

“You can fight me all you want,” Kaelor’s voice rumbled against Ashryn’s chest. “But you’re coming back—where you belong, where I can see you and protect you.”

don’t need—

you do, eyes blazing as they locked onto Ashryn's. borders aren’t safe. Whatever attacked my messenger is still out there, and you’re far too vulnerable on your own.

Stung by the word, Ashryn twisted once more. Still, Kaelor held firm—his grip as unyielding as steel. Yet she refused tostop struggling.

“I hate you,” Ashryn whispered softly.

A whisper in his chest branded him false. His pulse raced, fear entwined with hunger, both running rampant.

Kaelor moved closer, his breath warming her ear. That gentle touch sent a shiver down her spine.

“You won’t escape me,” Kaelor said, his voice heavy with determination. “Never again.”